Ori studio head looks to Final Fantasy Tactics for help fixing No Rest for the Wicked's progression, says other devs "haven't paid enough attention" to the JRPG

Ori and the Blind Forest lead and Moon Studios CEO Thomas Mahler is borrowing a couple pages from Final Fantasy Tactics' handbook while making the new job system for ARPG No Rest for the Wicked, currently in early access.

The lead developer reveals on social media that the team has now turned on the "internal green light" to create a whole new class system rather than the attribute-based progression the game's had up until now. Mahler states that for decades action RPGs have gone down one of two routes: hard class systems where you pick a role upfront (Diablo) or attribute systems where you slowly allocate stats to buildcraft (Dark Souls).

"We don't think either approach is ideal - which is why we've been working on something different," Mahler writes. "With the upcoming Jobs System in Wicked, your character's class adapts dynamically based on how you actually play. If you spend a lot of time swinging swords, you'll naturally become a better swordsman. If you switch to wands or staves, you'll start progressing as a mage. Each class has its own weapons, traits, and runes, and players will need to use and master that class to fully unlock its potential. And once mastered, all of the classes skills can be used on other classes as well. Your class isn't chosen in a menu - it's earned through play."

Mahler says the "the system is clearly inspired by Final Fantasy Tactics" and he believes it could change how players and fellow developers think about ARPG progression from here on out. "I really think [Final Fantasy Tactics director] Yasumi Matsuno had figured out the proper answer 30 years ago already and most Western developers just haven't paid enough attention."

No Rest for the Wicked's lead also acknowledges that making such a drastic change so deep into development (it's been in early access for almost two years) is "scary," but he reckons it's all worth it in order to make a "major step into the right direction."

No Rest for the Wicked is currently 40% off on Steam. The sale is supposedly a "one-time" deal, and Moon Studios is planning to bump the game's price up from $40 to $60 when it eventually hits 1.0.

Baldur's Gate 3 director agrees with No Rest for the Wicked lead that Early Access is "a positive thing" for games like their two RPGs – when it works.